Playing The Part
by xSweetiePiex
Summary: Fin's world is shaken when his best friend dies and leaves him his 16 year old daughter, Kaitlin. How will he handle the joys of fatherhood again? What will the other detectives do to help? UPDATED!
1. Surprise, Surprise

**Here's my newest SVU fic. It's centering around Fin, but all the characters are there as well! I'm really open to suggestions and critiques. If you want to see something happen, I'll try my hardest to work it in, somehow!**

**Summary: Life is full of surprises, and you can't always handle them. Sometimes, it's better to just play the part. Fin's about to get in way over his head. Read & review please!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own L&O:SVU... please don't sue! I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit!**

**Playing The Part**

Odafin Tutuola and his partner, John Munch, had just arrived at the crime scene. There was blood smeared on the walls, a decapitated body sprawled on the floor, and condom wrappers everywhere. Fin turned away for a moment. Sometimes, these cases were hard and the days were long. But, something else was bothering Fin. He had been having these rather bothersome feelings for the past few days. He just couldn't seem to shake the qualms off.

Lost in thought, he barely heard Munch calling to him. "Fin? What are ya doing? Come on."

Fin snapped out of it. "Coming." He made his way over. Munch was holding a camera and signified where he wanted to have pictures taken. Soon, the pictures were done and they hopped in the car and drove back to the squad room.

"What do we got?" Detective Olivia Benson asked when Munch and Fin returned.

"Joshua Gordon. 37-year-old male." Fin started.

"Decapitated." Munch interrupted. "No signs of forced entry. Warner says fluids indicated he had had sexual intercourse directly prior to death. Condom wrappers were found strewn about, and our vic here was in his birthday suit."

Fin stopped listening to his partner as he saw Captain Cragen emerge from his office. Captain Cragen noticed Fin's watchful eye upon him and signaled for him to go into the office.

"Shut the door." Cragen instructed Fin as soon as he was seated behind his desk.

"What's up, cap't?" Fin was beginning to get a sour feeling in his stomach.

"While you were at the scene, I got a call from Captain Lewis." Cragen paused.

"From Narcotics?" Fin paused as Cragen nodded. "What did he want?"

Fin pulled up a chair as Cragen explained. "Mitchell McKenzie… he passed away."

Fin closed his eyes for a long second. His face was slightly twisted when he sputtered out, "How?" Mitchell McKenzie had been his close friend since they went to high school together. They had been together in the academy, and were even partners for a while in Narcotics. After Mitch's wife died in a terrible car accident, Mitch took some time off to be with his two kids. That was around the time Fin transferred to Special Victims. Mitch didn't have practically any family. The two of them were like brothers.

"Killed in the line of duty." Cragen explained slowly. Fin's eyes, brimming with emotion met Cragen's. "You were on his emergency notification list."

Fin dropped his head. And took a deep breath. "Ok, thanks Captain."

"Fin, there's more. See, they couldn't find any of McKenzie's relatives, so you might want to go down to Narcotics and tie up a few loose ends." Cragen proceeded when Fin had nodded. "And take the rest of the day off." Fin started to protest, but Cragen jumped in. "Please?"

Fin finally conceded and left the office to get his things. Elliot, Olivia, and Munch were watched Fin walk methodically to his desk and pick up a few things before proceeding towards the door. With not so much as a "goodbye," the detective managed to stump three of New York's finest.

Fin drove over to Narcotics and paused before opening the door. Memories of his time there began to rush back to him. He didn't have the guts, or the time, to turn back because a rookie walked up to him, smiling. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Yeah. I'm Detective Tutuola and I'm here concerning Detective Mitchell McKenzie." Fin said, barely above a whisper.

The rookie's face dropped and he nodded in understanding. "This way."

Fin was led to the squad room he had been in so many times himself. Upon entering, he noticed that the normal lively atmosphere was tinted with sorrow, understandably. Right away, he noticed Captain Lewis sitting at his desk. A young teen, who looked to be no more than 16, was seated next to him. Her long brown hair hung in her face, not quite covering her eyes, puffy from crying.

Captain Lewis approached him. "Fin. Thanks for coming."

"Mitch was like a brother to me. Of course I'm going to do what I can."

Captain Lewis nodded. "So Cragen explained everything, right?" He waved his hand towards the girl, signaling for her to come near the two men.

Fin looked as confused as he was. "Not exactly…"

The captain got a concerned look on his face. The girl stopped in her tracks, a fresh set of tears forging wet trails down her pearly cheeks. "Mitch didn't have any other family. His wife died a few years back. Both their parents were gone…"

"I know that." Fin interrupted.

"All he had were his kids… and you." He paused. "You need to talk to his executive of state."

A tall, blonde haired man stood behind the Captain. "Odafin Tutuola?" Fin nodded. "He left you everything. His finances, worth approximately $2.2 million." Fin took an audible breath in. He had no idea that Mitch had that kind of money.

"Wow. Thank you very much." Fin began to dismiss the man when he interrupted.

"That's not all he left you."

"Huh? What else did he leave me?"

"Not 'what else'… It's 'who else?'" Fin was getting irritated. Sensing this, the executive continued. "He left you his daughter, Kaitlin."

**What do you think so far? It is kinda rushed, but I had to get in the idea of Fin taking in Kaitlin... the next chapters should be better! And no flames, please!**


	2. Father Mode

**Here's the next chapter. I tried to take things a little slower. This piece isn't too long... but it's late. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I do, though, own Kaitlin, Ryan, and Mitch... so don't sue!**

Fin stood there completely dumbfounded. "His…d..d..daughter?" He managed to stammer.

"That's right. Nowadays, it's common for people, especially those who don't have family around, to appoint guardians in case of unexpected death." The last words were forced. It was obvious that the man was trying to be tactful. "Did he ever tell you his intentions?"

Fin grew suddenly uncomfortable. He remembered a night, rightafterMitch's wifehad passedaway. Fin had taken him out for drinks to distract him, leavinghis kids withFin's(now ex-) wife. Mitch was completely plastered, but had mentioned leaving his kids to Fin. Fin was_sure_ that Mitch waskidding or something. "Yeah, I guess so. But we were drunk at the time. I didn't think he was serious." Fin snuck a glance back at Kaitlin. He hardly recognized her. He hadn't seen her for at least a year, probably more like two. And she changed a lot. He made eye contact briefly, and her eyes pleaded with his.

"Sir, I understand this may be a surprise. If you need time to think about it or something…"

"What happens if I don't take her in?" Fin kept his voice low so Kaitlin wouldn't hear him.

"Well, as you know, Kaitlin has an older brother, Ryan." The executive opened a file. "He's 18 and attending UCLA. Ryan doesn't need a guardian because he is legally an adult, but I'm afraid he probably won't be able to take guardianship of Kaitlin because he is currently a freshman and living in a dormitory without a job. No judge is going to grant that." He closed the file. "We were unable to locate any other family members. If you are unable to assume the responsibilities of a legal guardian, she will be placed in a group home. Best case scenario, we'll be able to place her in a foster home."

Fin's eyes grew dark. He knew that group homes were not always the best place for a teen, especially one who just lost a parent. He also knew that the possibility of placing her in a foster family were slim... not many people wanted to take in a teenager. Even if they placed her, there was no way of telling how safe it would be. As an SVU detective, he had seen plenty of cases of abuse, neglect, even rape in foster and group homes. He couldn't do that to his best friend's only daughter. He mentally chastised himself for even _considering_ not taking her in. His mind raced.

"No, I think I want to become her guardian." Fin's voice was full of resolve.

The executive was a bit taken aback at his sudden firmness, but overall happy for the announcement. "I can get you the paperwork, Kaitlin can go with you right now." He motioned for the girl to come over. Reluctantly, she picked herself up and made her way towards the two men. "I'll leave you two alone." He walked over where the Captain was and starting working on Fin's forms.

As Kaitlin came closer, Fin got a better look at her. Her long brown hair was stick straight and her daddy's blue eyes were hidden behind black-rimmed glasses. Her head was bowed and she looked really uncomfortable.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." Fin said gently. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard her give a quick "thanks." He decided to press on. "It sure has been a long time. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances…"

"Thanks… for, ya know… letting me stay with you." Kaitlin interrupted. She must have heard the conversation with the executive. "Um… you don't have to… if you don't want to." She looked him in the eye for a second, before focusing on a speck on the floor. If Fin wasn't mistaken, he saw a distinctive glimmer of fear in her eyes. "I had no idea that he had even written that in his will…"

Now, it was Fin's turn to interrupt. "No, really, baby, it's okay." He extended his right arm to gently pat her arm, but to Fin's surprise, she flinched visibly. "Hey, hey, hey… it's okay."

Kaitlin didn't look up at him, and succumbed to the realization that her father was gone. Her body shuddered with tears, and she raised her shaky hands to her face. Fin debated whether or not to envelop her in a fierce hug.

"Hey, come here." Fin decided that if he was going to be her guardian, he needed to get over the forced awkwardness sooner or later. He wrapped his strong arms around her and gently rubbed circles on her back, while whispering soothing words in her ear. He wasn't all too surprised that she tensed up immediately after he held her. She pulled away after about a minute, and Fin looked up to see the whole squad room pretending they weren't just watching.

The executive came up to Fin. "It's been a hard day for everyone. Why don't you get her back to your place and we can fill the rest of these forms out tomorrow?"

"M'kay." Fin was close to tears as well. Mitch was his best friend. He turned to Kaitlin. "Ready to go." Drained, all Kaitlin could do was nod.

They got into the car and Fin found himself at a loss of what to say. He didn't want to push her too much. Sure, he dealt with grief at work all the time. But this was different. He was taking the grief home with him. He had his fair share of experience dealing with teenagers who had been traumatized, grieving, even abused, neglected, and raped… but it was so much different when it happened to teens you knew… teens you _cared_ about.

"You hungry?" Fin asked her.

Kaitlin had situated herself at the farthest corner of the seat. Her eyes were plastered on the passing scenery of NYC. She shook her head.

"What have you eaten today?" The words came out of Fin's mouth before he could stop them. Yes, that's right… he was going into "father mode." He had a son… but he was never really a father to him. Too much time spent undercover with Narcotics. Too many misplaced priorities. But, this time, it would be different. Besides, now he was back in touch with his son. Granted, it did take a near death experience for that to happen. He loved his son, though… and he loved finally being a father.

Kaitlin's silence spoke volumes, so Fin continued. "Sweetie, you have to eat something. What would you like?" She still didn't say anything. "I have some lunch meat back at my place. We could make sandwiches. Okay?"

This time, Kaitlin answered. "Okay." Her voice was shaky, so Fin decided they had talked enough for that car ride. He pulled into his parking place, and Kaitlin obediently followed Fin into his apartment.

"Make yourself at home." Fin announced. Kaitlin looked around for a second before collapsing on the black leather couch. "You can turn on the television if you want to." Fin indicated where the remote was. The teen picked it up and hastily turned on MTV. Fin was heading in the kitchen to make sandwiches when his cell phone rang.

"Tutuola." Fin spoke into the receiver.

"Hey." The caller on the other end greeted.

"Oh, hi John. What's up?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." There was concern in his partner's voice. "You just sort of… took off."

"Yeah, about that…" Fin didn't really know where to start. "An old partner from Narcotics, and good buddy of mine passed away."

"I'm so sorry."

"Thanks. He didn't really have any family, so I went over to Narcotics to make arrangements." Fin paused, looking over at Kaitlin who was busy watching a music video on television. He must have spaced out because the next thing he heard was John's shrill voice.

"Fin? Fin? Fin! Are you still there?"

"Yeah, sorry, John. It's just… Mitch has… I mean _had_, two kids. His son's 18, but his daughter's only 16."

"That's so young to lose a parent."

"Both."

"Both what?" John was confused.

"Parents. Both parents. The kids' mom died a few years back." Fin heard John take in a deep breath.

"Wow." John didn't even know what to say.

"I know. And, he left his daughter to me." Fin put his hand on his head. _What was he getting himself into?_

"What?"

"He wants… well, _wanted_, me to become her legal guardian."

"So… are you going to do it?"

"Of course. They said they'd ship her off to some foster home if I didn't." Fin knew that John would understand his concern about this. And he did.

"If you need anything from me… you know the number." John wasn't a big fan of kids, but he would do anything for his partner.

"Yeah, I know. I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." Fin hung up the phone, not really waiting for John to answer.

Fin quickly prepared two scrumptious entrees and called Kaitlin to the table.

"Here you go, sandwiches á la Fin." He sat down next to her. For the first time, she smiled. It was small, but it was something. Fin wondered why he was so nervous. It wasn't like he didn't already have a son. But he forgot that his wife did most of the child rearing. But, at least he got her to smile. Maybe this parenting thing wouldn't be that bad after all…

**Reviews please? Thanks!**


	3. Uncertainty

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry that it's a tad bit shorter. The next one will be longer, I promise! Hope you enjoy... please read and review if possible! I'd really appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I do, however, own Mitchell, Ryan, and Kaitlin McKenzie! I'm not making any money whatsoever off of this... so don't sue! K? Thanks!**

_**Edit: This site keeps messing up my spacing! I think I fixed it…. It should be better now!**_

The next morning, Fin woke up with a start. The events of the past day came flooding back to him. Mitchell. Kaitlin. And the realization that he was now sharing his apartment was a 16-year-old girl hit him like a ton of bricks. He made his way into the kitchen and saw his young charge seated at the kitchen table hastily reading the newspaper.

"Any good news today, kid?" Fin asked her.

Kaitlin looked up, her eyes puffy and red, and merely shook her head. Fin rushed over to her.

"You okay?" He asked, even though the answer was pretty obvious. Kaitlin nodded, unsure of herself.

"I'll be fine." She sniffled. It was clear she wasn't fooling anybody. "As soon as Ry gets here."

"Yeah, when's his plane get in?" Fin asked nervously. He totally forgot that Kaitlin's 18-year old brother, Ryan, was coming in for the funeral that was to take place the next day.

"Um… maybe 5 o'clock? I think that's right." Fin looked down at his watch. He had to go into work today. He hoped he could get the time off necessary to pick up her brother.

"Thanks, sweetie." Fin started. He turned the coffee pot on and took a seat next to her. "I need to go into work today, but if you need anything, my numbers on the fridge, okay?" Kaitlin nodded.

She must have noticed the worried look on Fin's face, "I'll be fine, Detective Tutuola. Seriously. Don't worry about me." She tucked a messy brunette lock of hair behind her ear. "Really." She added, almost to reassure herself.

"Okay…" Fin started. "But, since you'll be living here now, 'Detective Tutuola' just sounds so… formal." He smiled at her so she wouldn't think his playful teasing wasn't in good nature. "You can just call me Fin, ok?"

"M'kay," she replied.

He wished he could believe her… about the being okay by herself. Part of being a parent was worrying. That was definitely something he would have to get used to again. Just this past day and night, Fin was worrying practically nonstop.

For a little while, though, he would have to put it off. He went into the bathroom and hopped in the shower. He let the scalding hot water cover his entire body, relieving all the emotional pain he had been going through. Where he grew up, you didn't show your emotions. Well, maybe anger. Yes, anger was okay. But that was it. You didn't cry. At least, not in public. Fin was glad that at least Mitch raised his daughter not to bottle her emotions inside. In Fin's experience, that was always a bad thing. Letting pain fester always ended up in additional heartbreak. Like when his grandmother died, for example. Fin was only about 11 years old, but everyone told him not to cry or be upset. So, he kept his emotions locked deep inside of him. Until one day when another kid teased him. The anger and pain flooded back to little Fin, and he started beating the crap out of this other little boy. Even though Fin still bottled up his emotions most of the time, he was sure he would never hurt anyone anymore….. Lost in thought, the minutes slipped by. By the time Fin's hand reached the nozzle to turn off the water, it was all wrinkled up. He must have been in there a little too long.

He quickly shaved, got dressed, and walked past the kitchen before leaving for work. The car ride seemed to drag on, and Fin almost lost it with a driver in front of him who was going way too slow. Finally, the familiar look of the precinct pulled Fin out of his trance-like state.

When Fin walked into the Special Victims Unit squad room, he found John Munch, his partner, sitting at his desk next to Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson.

"Hey, guys. What's going on?" Fin greeted his co-workers.

"Working on the Gordon case." Olivia filled Fin in.

"Any leads?" Fin asked.

"None. Can't even tell who he was with before he died." Munch continued for Olivia. Fin sighed. It was going to be a long day at work.

Just as Fin was starting to get settled and work on some paperwork, Captain Cragen emerged from his office. "Fin? Got a second?"

"Yeah, Cap't." The three other detectives shared a meaningful look as Fin responded, walking nervously towards the door of Cragen's office. Once inside, he continued. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to make sure everything was okay." Cragen paused, allowing Fin the chance to step in and continue. When he didn't, Cragen continued. "I also have some forms from the executive of estate… regarding your legal guardianship of Kaitlin McKenzie."

Fin heard the shift in Cragen's voice. "Yeah. He left his kids to me… in his will." Not sure if that was enough explanation, he pressed on. "I couldn't say no."

"I understand… but with this job? Perhaps it wouldn't be the best idea… I mean, can you handle it? I know you have a son, but he's out of the house… and with these hours…. I just want to make sure you are equipped to make the right choice."

For the first time, Fin doubted his ability to care for her. "Mitchell was my best friend. His wife died years ago, and neither of them have much reliable family around. He was like my brother." Fin looked down, then met Cragen's eye before continuing. "He had two kids, Ryan and Kaitlin. Ryan's 18, so he doesn't need a guardian. But Kaitlin? She's 16. If I don't become her guardian, they are going to ship her off to a group home. And you know what can happen in group homes. And they'll never find her a foster home... at her age. I can't let that happen."

Cragen's eyes showed an understanding. "I understand, but…"

"But what?" Fin's tone was defiant all of a sudden. This wasn't something that was going to change, so Cragen might as well accept it.

"If you ever need any help, you can always call me." It seemed like Fin didn't believe him. "That's all I was going to say." Cragen held his arms up in mock-surrender. "Congratulations, Detective."

Fin smiled and mouthed a quiet "thanks" before leaving.

Lowering himself into his chair, Fin got lost in his thoughts. That was quite a speech he just gave to the Captain. But did he really believe it? Fin wasn't so sure….

**Please Review! Thanks!**


	4. The Revelation

**Sorry this took so long to update! Almost a month… eek! I hope you like this next chapter. It's a tad bit longer and introduces some pretty dark themes (don't wanna ruin it, though). So tell me what you think of it. As always, I don't own Law & Order: Special Victims Unit nor do I own any of the characters. I do, however, own Mitchell, Ryan, and Kaitlin McKenzie. **

**Comments/Critiques/Constructive Criticism and/or feedback of any kind is appreciated. Please, no flames though! Thanks bunches! I love you all, you are great readers and reviewers! **

The hours flew by and Fin was finding it harder and harder to stay concentrated. He kept thinking about Kaitlin. And Ryan. And Mitch. He thought about the family he himself had neglected when he was busy working in Narcotics. At that time, being undercover seemed to occupy his time better than being with his family. How wrong could he have been? Where were his priorities? He thought about the family his best friend left behind. He knew Mitch probably better than anyone else. And one thing he knew for certain was how much Mitch loved his kids. He also knew how close they had gotten after Mitch's wife died. The whole situation was just nasty. The kids did not deserve to lose either of their parents. Now, they had lost both.

Before Fin knew it, it was nearing 5 o'clock and he needed to pick Ryan up from the airport. Shoving some papers haphazardly into his desk drawer, he stood up and made his way over to his partner, John Munch. "Hey, I gotta get going to pick Ryan up from the airport."

Munch looked up to him. "Need company?"

Fin smiled at his partner. "I'll be fine. Thanks, though." He paused for a moment, uncertain of what to say. "Just call me if anything comes up with any of the cases."

"Will do." Munch bid Fin farewell and Fin was off to pick up Ryan.

Hopping in the car, Fin mentally chastised himself for not leaving earlier. New York City traffic was nearly impossible to navigate during rush hour. He amused the idea of putting on his sirens and pretending to be going somewhere on official NYPD business. Smiling at the thought, he decided against it. He didn't need to be getting any reprimands on his record while he was petitioning for legal guardianship.

Fin switched on the radio, and his favorite song was just starting. Belting out the lyrics, Fin lost himself to one of his favorite Ice-T songs, _Heartbeat._ "Ya heard the Ice was rockin', ticket sales were high. Bought some fresh Adidas so you could look fly. Broke out from your crib rushin' to get here…" His favorite part came up and soon he was chanting, "I love the ladies! Ladies, are you with me?"

The song faded out and all of a sudden Fin wondered what kind of music Kaitlin liked. He started to wonder what her favorite classes were and who she hung out with. The realization that he didn't really know her hit him like a ton of bricks. Sure, he knew the basics. He read the Christmas letters that Mitch sent out and he remembered the conversations they had had about their kids. Yes, Kaitlin was a junior. Yes, she was 16. She liked going to the mall. She liked art… no wait, was it art? Or was it dancing? Maybe it was both. Fin really wished he had paid more attention now.

He pulled his car into a parking spot in the airport parking garage. He headed into the very crowded airport. He couldn't go far because of post September 11th security, so he found a spot he knew Ryan would find. He lowered himself down into a not quite comfortable chair and waited. And waited. His impatience was getting the best of him. He glanced down at his watch. 5:49 pm. What was taking so long?

Figuring Kaitlin would be worried; he dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his home phone number. The phone rang once. Then it rang again. And again. _That's odd._ Fin thought. He didn't really know what to think. _Would she go out without saying anything? _That didn't seem right for her. _Maybe she left a note…_ _Or maybe she just didn't get to the phone in time_.

Deciding that she must have just not been able to get to the phone on time, Fin called again. The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. He heard his voice on the answering machine. "Hey, it's Fin. Leave a message and I'll holler at ya later, dawg!" Normally, this message made him smile. He was just joking around when he made it. But this time, he wasn't amused at all.

Fin was just about ready to take off to make sure Kaitlin was okay when a young man approached him. If Fin hadn't known that his best friend had just passed away, he would have been positive this was a younger version of him.

"Ryan?" Fin questioned the young man.

"Fin." It was more of a statement than a question. The older man extended his hand and the two embraced in a sort of half-hug.

Tousling Ryan's hair, Fin commented, "You look just like your father." Ryan looked down. "I'm so sorry about what happened."

Ryan didn't look up at Fin. "Thanks." A few seconds later, he amended. "Me too." His eyes were murky with unshed and raw emotion. "I just wish…I could've been here, ya know?"

"Yeah, buddy. I know." Fin put his arm around the boy. He looked so young and innocent, not at all like the 18-year old college freshman that he usually was.

"So, how's Ken doing?" Ryan tried to shake his feelings off, at least for that moment.

The question threw Fin for a loop. He wasn't expecting to talk about _his_ son. They were never really close at all. But that was probably the last thing Ryan needed to hear.

"Pretty good." Fin started, cautiously. "We haven't really talked in a while." And that was true, especially after the issue with the dead body and arresting issue.

"Yeah, we talk a lot." Ryan started slowly as well, sensing the man's tension.

"Really?" Fin started. "That's good. You two were close growing up." And they were. Although Ken was a few years older than Ryan, they spent a lot of time together. Ken became a sort of mentor to the younger boy.

"So, Kaitlin's gonna stay with you, right?" Ryan met his eyes for the first time. He was breathing slightly heavier than normal because of the rather large suitcase he dragged behind him. A backpack hung low on his left shoulder.

"That's the plan." Fin sounded more confident than he felt.

"Thanks." Ryan said meekly. "Ya know, I didn't know about Dad's will. And I didn't know where she was gonna go when I heard that he had… passed away. I thought about dropping out of UCLA, but getting a job at minimum wage probably wouldn't cover the cost of both of us…"

"You don't need to thank me." Fin smiled and patted the boy on the back. "Here, let me take that." Fin grabbed the suitcase and the pair made their way to Fin's car.

The car ride to Fin's place took shorter than expected, considering it was still technically rush hour. Ryan enjoyed seeing the passing sights of New York City. Born and raised in NYC, the West Coast seemed strangely foreign to him. Sure, he loved the beaches, but his heart belonged in the Big Apple. In spite of the circumstances, it was good to be home.

With the emotional meeting of Ryan and the car ride back to his apartment, Fin nearly forgot about calling Kaitlin and her not picking up the phone. Suddenly, Fin got a bad feeling.

Lugging Ryan's suitcase up to the door, Fin pulled out his key, stuck it in, and opened the door.

Inside, he breathed a sigh of relief. He scanned the apartment with his eyes. The kitchen table, the appliances, the couch, and the television… everything looked just like it was when he left it.

"Kaitlin!" Fin called. "Kaitlin! We're home!"

"Kaitlin?" Now it was Ryan's turn to yell. His voice was lower, more urgent. "Is she here?" His panicked look said something more like; _I can't believe you lost my baby sister!_

Just then, Kaitlin staggered out of the bathroom, holding a small silver flask. Her hair was a mess and she could barely walk in a straight line… or at all for that matter. "Hey guys." She half said, half moaned. Her hand shook and she spilled some of the contents of the flask. "Oopsie Daisy!" Kaitlin giggled manically for a second before losing her balance.

Fin dropped the bag and ran to Kaitlin just in time to catch her as she tripped over her own two feet. Fin could smell the alcohol on her breath. So could Ryan, even though he hadn't moved any closer to her. "She's totally wasted." Fin stated, even thought it was obvious.

Ryan didn't say anything. He helped Fin carry her to his bedroom and place her on her side on his bed. "Come on, Ryan, I'll get you settled. She'll be fine as long as she sleeps it off." Ryan stayed with her as Fin did some investigating of his own. Throughout the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and living room, he found 3 beer cans and the flask, which he later found out contained vodka. The beer cans came from his refrigerator, but the flask didn't. She must have brought that with her. Fin sighed.

"Ryan?" Fin called to him. "Does Kaitlin drink normally? This flask isn't mine."

Ryan let out a small laugh.

"What's so funny?" Fin wasn't sure how humorous this was.

"Look, you were Dad's best friend, so you probably know him better than anyone else." Fin nodded. "And, not to speak ill of the dead or anything… but he was kind of a …" It was clear Ryan was trying to find the right words. "He was kind of a hard ass. At least when it came to breaking his rules… especially with alcohol and drugs."

This, at least a little, surprised Fin. He knew his best friend was a tough cop, just not a tough dad. "Really?" He questioned.

"Yeah. I remember when I was 15, maybe 16, I came home completely plastered from some party, and Dad didn't say anything, at least not until the next morning when I was sober. He came up to my room, and then he wore out his belt on me. It was probably the worst beating I ever got."

Fin stopped dead in his tracks and met Ryan's gaze. "He hit you kids?" This completely shocked Fin. There was no denying that Mitch was a tough cop, stopping at nothing to catch the criminal… but his own kids? He couldn't imagine Mitch laying a hand on his kids.

"Only when we were 'bad.'" Fin could hear the way Ryan spit out the word "bad."

"I'm so sorry."

"I deserved it most of the time." Ryan practically lost himself in thought before he snapped back to reality. "But Kaitlin always got it worse."

"Why?"

"He blamed her…" Ryan averted his gaze to the bedroom where she was sleeping. "He blamed her for mom dying." Fin looked at him and signaled towards the couch. Ryan reluctantly lowered himself and continued. "He said that having Kaitlin was a big mistake. That she wasn't worth it. I know I should've done something to stop him. I didn't know what to do. I always told him it was my fault whenever something bad happened…" Ryan sounded so defeated.

"There was nothing you could have done."

"That's just the thing. I knew that if it came down to it, who would believe me and Kaitlin over a cop." Ryan stopped suddenly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything I just…"

"It's okay. I understand." Fin said, even though he didn't. Any reputable police officer would have done a thorough investigation. Their voices would have been heard. It was hard to hear a kid, yes, Fin considered Ryan to be a kid, talking about his life in such an unimportant manner.

Fin waited for Ryan to continue, but it seemed that the boy was completely emotionally drained. Fin put a hand on the boy's knee and was hurt when he pulled away. "Please, don't let this whole thing make you not want to take Kaitlin. She's a good girl, _most of the time,_ and she deserves it. I probably shouldn't have told you any of this."

"Of course this won't make a difference with my taking her in. And, I know that you're over 18, so I'm not technically your guardian, but if you ever need anything, I'm here for you."

Fin leaned in and the two shared an awkward hug. This was more complicated than Fin could have fathomed. On his first day as a new dad, he gains a son he doesn't even have guardianship of, he finds out his best friend beat his children, and his daughter drinks until she passes out. This was shaping up to be his most challenging role ever…


	5. Mysterious Help

**Hey! This is the newest chapter of "Playing The Part." I'm connecting it more to the SVU squad and detectives now that the characters (Ryan, Kaitlin, & Mitchell have been better established.) So… feedback is always appreciated… (hint) (hint).**

**I do not own Law & Order: Special Victims Unit nor am I making any money off of this. **

**Enjoy!**

After their little "heart to heart," Ryan was pretty drained. So was Fin. They both decided that it was best to just turn in early for the night. At least that way, they could postpone further discussion until the next morning when Kaitlin would hopefully be in better condition to talk. Fin sure hoped she wasn't going to be hung over. Mitch's funeral was going to be tomorrow.

Fin decided not to worry about it and pulled out a sleeping bag. Dragging it to the center of the floor, he almost immediately fell asleep. Before dozing off completely, he did notice Ryan going into Fin's room to check up on his sister. He smiled to himself at the closeness of the siblings. That was nice, after all. It was something that they both needed right now.

The next morning came all too soon, even though they had all went to sleep early. Fin pulled himself off of the floor, cracking his back loudly in the process. He was getting a bit too old to be sleeping on the floor like that.

He dragged his feet into the kitchen and reached to turn on the coffee pot only to find that a fresh pot was already brewing. He looked up to find Ryan seated at the kitchen table, diligently reading _The New York Times._

"What are you doing up this early?" Fin mumbled.

"I couldn't sleep." Ryan jerked the paper down. "I need some more coffee. Do you need some coffee? Here, have some more coffee!" Ryan exclaimed in one breath, getting up and racing to the coffee pot.

"Hold it, Mr. Folgers." Fin lowered himself into the chair next to Ryan. "Have you gotten any sleep **at all**?"

"Sleep? Who needs sleep?" Ryan suddenly stopped to yawn. "Besides, I had to stay with Kaitlin. Make sure she's okay."

"And is she?"

"Yup Yup Yup!" Ryan answered, energetic again.

Fin stood up again and walked behind Ryan, stealthily grabbing the coffee mug out of his hands and placing it on the counter. "You go get some sleep. I'll stay with your sister, okay?"

"Really, man?"

"Yeah. Go on now." Fin contemplated what to do with Kaitlin. If she was _his_ daughter, he would play bad cop with her. Wake her up, even if she had a hangover. But, in light of what Ryan said last night, he didn't feel that was too good of an idea. In fact, he'd have to rethink a lot of his approaches with her. At that point, he thought of Kaitlin as more of a victim, than a daughter. This wasn't exactly a good thing.

Deciding that Kaitlin had to get up either way, he ventured into his bedroom. Kaitlin was lying in a jumbled mess in the middle of the bed. Her hair was knotted all around her face and her clothes were wrinkled.

Fin approached the bed quietly, and sat down next to the rumpled looking girl.

"Kaitlin?" Fin called quietly. "Kaitlin?" He called a little louder. This time, he put his large hand on her shoulder and shook gently.

Kaitlin moaned a bit before opening her eyes. Most of the alcohol gone from her system, she realized for the first time where she was. Upon seeing Fin, the events of the past day fled back to her. She couldn't remember everything she did. She only remembered being alone in the house. And then thinking about her dad. And her mom. She pulled out the flask of vodka she had gotten from her friend Cody, "in case things got too hard." He knew about the abuse. He was the only person Kaitlin told. Only, she needed the vodka for her pain over her dad's death, not his abuse. She remembered the beers she drank from Fin's refrigerator. She slowly pulled herself into the farthest corner of Fin's bed, not taking her eyes off of him for a moment.

"How are you feeling?" Fin reached for her arm, but Kaitlin pulled back farther. She picked herself up off of the bed and backed into the corner of the room.

"Leave me alone…" Kaitlin started softly.

Fin began to walk towards her. "Kaitlin, baby, it's okay. Come on. I think you had a little too much to drink. How are you feeling now?"

Kaitlin, dissolving into tears, sank down onto the floor. "I'm sorry… I was… I was… alone. And he's gone, Fin. He's really… gone."

"I know, baby." Fin sank down to Kaitlin's level.

"It's all my fault…"

"No, it's not." Fin took a deep breath. "It's not your fault your mom died. It's not your fault your dad died either."

"But it's my fault you have to take care of me." Kaitlin replied with more resolution than before. "You don't want me here."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is! Why would you want me, anyway?" Kaitlin looked defeated.

Fin stood up and extended his hand towards the teen. "Come on." His voice must have been gruffer than he meant for it to be because Kaitlin pulled back a little, covering her head with her hands and curling into a ball. "Kaitlin?" Fin lowered himself back down to the floor and gently stroked her back. She looked up at him. "Come on. Let's go sit on the couch, okay?"

This time, Kaitlin followed. She was still a bit off from all the alcohol, so she barely noticed when Fin got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen.

He pulled out his cell phone from his back pocket and dialed a number he knew so well.

"Hello?" He spoke when his fellow detective picked up. "Yeah… I'm doing alright." "Well, the funeral is today --- Yeah, I'm glad you can make it." "Hey, can I ask you something?" PAUSE "I need some help with Kaitlin. Since this is kind of your area of expertise, I was wondering if you could give me some advice." "You'll be over in 10 minutes? Thank you so much. You're a life saver!"

Who did Fin call? Please review! Feedback is appreciated! 


	6. The Funeral

**Disclaimer: I don't own Law & Order: SVU. Nor am I making money off of this.**

**Edit – Thanks to "Someone You Don't Know" who kindly pointed out that I had written "Wong" (the actor's actual last name) instead of "Huang". Kudos! I've fixed this little problem!**

**Please read and review!**

Fin closed his eyes. This parenting thing was harder to get back into the swing of than he thought it would be. He was just so grateful that Elliot was on his way over. Elliot had 4 kids, 3 _girls_. Fin was so disconnected from his only son… he wondered how Elliot could do it. Fin must have mused more than he planned because all of a sudden he heard the doorbell ring.

"I'm coming!" he announced, even though he knew Elliot couldn't hear him. When he opened the door, he meekly continued. "Thanks so much."

"No problem." Elliot walked into Fin's apartment. He immediately noticed Kaitlin, sitting quietly on the couch. "What's going on?"

Fin ushered Elliot over to the far side of the kitchen, just out of Kaitlin's earshot. "I come home from picking up her brother, and she's drunk." Fin heard Elliot draw in a deep breath. "Got some beer from the fridge, but had a flask of vodka… I have no idea where she got it."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Well, I was all ready to lay down the law. No drinking. Period." Fin stopped.

"So why didn't you?" Elliot questioned. He had a "no drinking" policy with his kids. Kathleen had been in pretty hot water when she was caught drinking and driving. Elliot always took a firm, but loving approach to his children.

"Me and Ryan had a little chat." Fin indicated the room where Ryan was napping. "Apparently Mitch was really hard on them." Elliot gave him a confused look. "According to Ryan, he'd beat them… pretty often, actually."

"Abuse?"

"Ryan told me his dad used the belt on him once. For drinking. That didn't sound too harsh, until he said that he used to beat Kaitlin and tell her she was worthless… and a mistake… and her fault their mom died."

"Oh, God." Elliot knew the statistics on cops who were pushed over the edge. He had been close a few times. "I'm guessing it never got reported."

"Exactly." Fin sighed. "Elliot, I need some help. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to deal with all of this."

"It's gonna be tough. I'm not gonna lie. Teenagers are hard. And teenage girls? Impossible." He reached out and patted Fin's shoulder. "But if anyone can do it… it's you."

Before Fin could respond he heard Kaitlin waking up. He walked over to her. "It's getting late. You should get ready for the funeral." The last effects of the alcohol were slowing dissipating and she felt a lot more like normal. She shot Fin a look when she didn't recognize the other man in the room. "This is a detective I work with. Detective Stabler."

"You can call me Elliot." He extended his hand to her. She smiled.

"Kaitlin."

"Nice to meet you."

"Same here." She walked, swaggering slightly, back to her room to get changed.

For the first time, Fin noticed Elliot was dressed up. "I better wake up Ryan and get changed." Fin disappeared through another doorway, leaving Elliot to channel surf. No more than 20 minutes later, Fin emerged with Ryan and Kaitlin in tow. They were dressed all in black and Kaitlin had on dark eyeliner. Her pale skin seemed to sink in.

"Ryan, this is Detective Elliot Stabler." Fin introduced. "This is Ryan, Mitch's oldest."

"Nice to meet you, sir." Ryan greeted, respectfully.

"Nice to meet you." Elliot replied.

The four made their way to the funeral, which was just a short service at the cemetery. Mitchell never really kept up with religion. He was much more agnostic than anything else. He didn't want anything big or formal.

When they arrived, they saw Captain Lewis, some other detectives from Mitchell's squad, along with Munch and Olivia. The burial was very nice. Fin couldn't help but keep watching Kaitlin, who stayed close by her older brother. Afterwards, everyone went to a luncheon at a local banquet hall.

Elliot waited until he saw Fin was alone, then made his way over towards him. "Can I talk to you a second?"

The pair walked towards the entrance. "What's going on?"

"I was just thinking about what you told me. About the kids."

Fin nodded. "And?"

"And… there's definitely going to be some trust issues, especially with Kaitlin. If she thinks you're going to hit her… then there's no way she'll ever be comfortable around you."

"But I'd never lay a hand on her, you know that…"

"**I** know that… but she might not." Elliot sighed. If this were any other case, Fin would see exactly where Elliot was coming from. At least, if this was a _case_ at all, as in, police case. It's just so hard to see these things when cases hit close to home. "She's used to being hit for no good reason… hit by her guardian… by a _cop_."

Fin nodded slowly. He was finally understanding everything. "If she can't even trust me… then how can I hope to give her a good life?"

"I was thinking… maybe you should see a specialist."

"A specialist? As in… some kind of shrink?" Fin shook his head. "No, no, no, no, no! No therapy." Fin laughed. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Well, then what about Huang?" Elliot suggested. "I'm sure he'd love to help."

Fin paused, considering this option. "I guess…"

"Really?"

"Well, it's worth a shot. And if I'm going to drag her to counseling, it might as well be someone I already trust."

As if on cue, Kaitlin rounded the corner, heading towards the two men. She paused just out of arm's length from them. Her gaze was focused on the ground.

"Um… excuse me?" Her voice was painfully unsure.

"What is it, Kaitlin?" Fin asked.

"I was just wondering how much longer we'd be here…"

"Not much longer. Let's head out, okay?" Fin's answer was directed at her, but he made eye contact with his fellow detective. Elliot was absolutely right. Kaitlin was scared of him.

He now had a new resolve. He would solve this problem. With Dr. Huang's help.

TBC soon… maybe even tomorrow!


	7. Help from Huang

**I told you I would update yesterday… sorry! But I'm only one day off! I do not own Law and Order: Special Victims Unit or the characters. I'm not making any money off of this! Please read and review! Feedback is always greatly appreciated!**

The car ride home was silent. Kaitlin and Ryan were so drained emotionally; they barely were able to stay awake. Fin could only imagine how hard this was for them. When the trio reached Fin's apartment, Kaitlin quickly slipped into the bathroom to change. She came out wearing sweatpants and a camisole tank top. Her long hair cascaded down her back and only then did Fin notice swelling and bruising on her back and shoulders. He debated silently as to whether or not he wanted to question her about it. Fin didn't get the chance, though, because just as suddenly as she appeared, Kaitlin slipped back into the bedroom, excusing herself to take a nap.

Fin sighed and glanced over at Ryan. He had plopped down on the couch and turned on the television set. Fin sat down next to him and struggled to find the right way to say what he wanted to.

Ryan noticed Fin's discomfort. Slowly, he started. "You saw her back, didn't you?"

Fin nodded, wordlessly.

"That was dad, for ya." Ryan's voice sounded so disconnected and empty. He sighed.

"I'm… so sorry." Fin didn't know what to say. He had seen way more than his fair share of abuse cases, even for a police officer. That was what most of the cases were at Special Victims Unit… other than sexual offenses, of course. He had seen what kind of things parents and guardians were capable of. When it hit this close to home, he couldn't even think of the right things to say. All of a sudden, _nothing_ seemed like the right thing to say.

"She was… always really good at hiding the marks. Not exactly a talent to be proud of." Ryan continued. "And I feel like a terrible person to say this… but at least he can't hurt her anymore."

"Or you." Fin finished. "He can't hurt you, either."

"And you know, man?" Ryan's voice rose. "That's the worst part of it. I just left her there. At home. With him. I just left my baby sister with him last year when I left for college. And I **knew** what was going to happen! I tried to convince myself that he'd stop… but it just got worse." He shook his head. "If that doesn't make me a terrible person, I don't know what does."

Fin placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "It doesn't make you a terrible person." He put up his hand before Ryan could argue. "It was a bad situation. But it's over now. You love your sister… and that's all that matters. You're here for her now… and she's going to need you."

Fin knew this probably wouldn't make him feel much better. He reached out and held him in a tight embrace. Patting him on the back a few times, Fin pulled away.

This was more urgent than he thought. He'd have to contact Dr. Huang as soon as possible.

"Ya know what? I think I'm going to go take a walk." Ryan excused himself. He needed some time alone. Fin was relieved a bit, because now he could make his call without having to worry about Ryan hearing him.

Fin gave Ryan a spare key and then pulled out his cell phone.

"Hello?" George Huang answered.

"Hi. It's Fin." Fin greeted.

"How're you holding up? How are the kids?" Elliot had filled George in about Fin's situation.

"As well as can be expected." Fin sighed, dejected.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah." Fin relaxed, feeling really comfortable with the man. "Kaitlin's pretty much avoiding me and her brother. Ryan's just feeling really guilty for everything."

"I see."

"Which brings me to my question." Fin took a deep breath. "I was wondering if it would be possible if you could talk to Kaitlin."

"Kaitlin?"

"Yeah, she's Mitch's youngest. She's 16. Her dad… used to beat the crap out of her. Yesterday I caught her drinking. Elliot suggested you talk to her… and I know it's kind of an imposition, but if you could, even for just a couple of minutes…"

"Of course, I can." George interrupted. "Why don't you swing by the office tomorrow morning?"

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Thanks so much, George!" Fin was relieved that George could help, or at least, try to.

The next morning, Fin woke Kaitlin up early. She was reluctant at first, but finally agreed to wake up. She was still so exhausted from the funeral.

"What's going on?" Kaitlin half-spoke, half-yawned.

"I want you to talk to one of my friends."

"Talk to one of your friends? Huh?" Kaitlin was confused.

"He's really nice. His name is Dr. Huang…"

"A shrink? You're making me go to a &#:$ing shrink?" She exploded in the heat of the moment. She was always a little cranky in the mornings.

"Hey! Watch your mouth!" Fin shouted. Kaitlin drew back a little. He softened his voice. "Please? Just come with me…"

"I'll go with you… but you can't make me talk to him." Her voice was shaky now. She had made a mistake. She blew up at Fin. She knew all too well how this worked. Now he could hit her… because she "deserved it." The thought made her want to cry. He was big… even bigger than her dad. And, boy, could he hit… her dad, she meant. Especially when he had a few beers in him. And when he had his belt. She was so terrified of that belt. And his rings, too. She shuddered at the thought. Fin was wearing a black leather belt. She squirmed, thinking of all the damage that could do to her back, and legs, and butt.

Kaitlin finished getting ready silently, keeping an eye on Fin the entire time. Soon, the pair were in the car. Fin called George, who was ready when they arrived at the precinct.

"Hello, George. This is Kaitlin." Dr. Huang extended his hand towards Kaitlin. He immediately noticed the way she sized him up, determining whether or not he was a threat to her. "Kaitlin, this is Dr. Huang." Fin continued, when Kaitlin didn't say anything. Maybe she _was_ serious about not talking to him. He hoped she wasn't, though.

"Nice to meet you, Kaitlin." Dr. Huang took over. "Why don't we go back to my office?" He ushered her ahead of himself and Fin. Then, to Fin, he added, "I'll talk to her… see what I can get. Why don't you give us about an hour, then come on up? I'll fill you in with any information, okay?"

"Sure. I have some things I should really catch up on." He turned away, and then walked back. "Thanks again, George."

"No problem."

Kaitlin followed Dr. Huang into a small, white office. He sat down in a big, comfy chair. She followed suit, keeping her eyes glued to a spec on the floor.

Dr. Huang waited a few minutes before he started talking. "Kaitlin?"

She looked up at him for a split second, but said nothing. He saw the sheer panic in her eyes. She was definitely scared of something. Her body was completely tensed, and she looked ready to bolt at the drop of a hat.

He decided to start out slowly. "You're 16, right?"

She nodded slowly.

"What kind of things do you like to do in your spare time?"

She glanced up at him. She didn't really want to talk, but obviously that's what he wanted her to do. She just shrugged. "I dunno. Stuff, I guess…"

"Like drinking alcohol?"

Kaitlin groaned. She knew where this was going. "So that's what this is about." She whispered.

"What is?"

"The vodka. Fin caught me drinking vodka."

"Vodka?" Dr. Huang questioned.

"I… I got it from a friend." Her words were quieter now.

"A friend? What kind of friend would give you alcohol?"

"It was for when… when things got too hard." Kaitlin slowly lifted her knees until her feet were on the edge of the chair.

"With your dad?"

"Yeah." Kaitlin mouthed. "He was the only one who knew…"

"I bet it was hard hiding that for so long."

Kaitlin hugged her knees to her chest. "More embarrassing than anything. It was my fault. All my fault…"

"No, it wasn't. It's never your fault."

"I deserved it most of the time. Just like I deserve whatever Fin does to me."

"What do you mean?" Dr. Huang had stood up, and moved his chair closer to hers.

She was silent for a few moments. "Well, he's my guardian now." She said, as if that explained everything. "I cussed at him. And the whole drinking thing…" She hung her head in shame.

"Kaitlin, I want you to look at me." Dr. Huang paused noticeably, until the girl looked at him. "Fin is **not** going to hit you."

"He's a cop." She stated, matter-of-factly, as if that justified a beating.

"What difference does that make?"

"Cops are allowed to…"

"No, they're not." Dr. Huang started. "Nobody is allowed to hit you. And Fin doesn't want to. He'd never hurt you."

Kaitlin looked down again. "You don't know how bad I can be…"

"You can never be 'bad' enough to deserve a beating."

"Police officers are there to help people… not hurt them."

"Not the ones I've met." Kaitlin answered, sarcasm oozing from her voice.

"Your dad?"

"And some of his friends, too."

"Ya know, Fin isn't like that at all."

Kaitlin bit her bottom lip. She wanted to believe that Fin wouldn't hurt her, but she wasn't so sure. "I… I know that."

"You don't have to be scared of him."

"I'm… not. I'm not scared of him." Kaitlin lied. "O-okay… maybe a little bit." She amended, after a piercing look from Dr. Huang.

"He cares about you so much…"

"I know..." Kaitlin really did know that.

"And you met Elliot, too. He's a cop… and he has four kids… He's very nice."

"Yeah…" Kaitlin's voice was quiet. She had met Elliot the day before. But he scared her. Maybe because, at least a little, she reminded her of her dad.

"What's wrong?" Dr. Huang noticed the change in Kaitlin's demeanor.

"Nothing." Kaitlin lied again. She started thinking. What if Fin knew that she was scared of him? That would definitely be bad. If he was anything like her dad, that would just make the beatings worse. "Dr. Huang?"

"Yeah?"

"You won't… won't tell Fin what I told you, about being scared of him, will you?"

"Not if you don't want me to."

"I don't." Kaitlin thought that sounded a bit rude. "Please… that would just make him angry."

"You know, maybe you could talk to Fin about this. He wants to be there for you."

"No, I don't want to waste his time." Kaitlin broke eye contact with the doctor.

"You wouldn't be wasting his time. I won't tell him what you said. But, I think you should talk to him."

"I can't…"

"Yes, you can."

"I don't think he'd wanna…" Kaitlin was interrupted by the sound of knocking on the office door.

"Come in!" Dr. Huang knew it would be Fin.

He walked in slowly. Kaitlin's eyes resumed their position on the floor. He walked over to her, touching her shoulder gently. Kaitlin flinched. Dr. Huang knew he had a lot of work left to do with the two.

Sighing, he began. "Kaitlin, can I talk to Fin for a second?" She merely nodded before disappearing out of the door.

"Fin, I think we have a little problem…"

**TBC**!


	8. Now or Never

**Sorry it took so long to update… please read and review!**

Fin looked over at George, confused. His tone was serious. "What's going on?" He let his gaze travel to where Kaitlin was standing outside the door.

"Kaitlin… she's…" George struggled with the right words to describe what was going on. "She's just so scared and confused. She blames herself for what her father did to her."

"And the drinking?"

"It's a way for her to cope with the stress. She drank because she felt alone after her father's death."

Fin nodded. "I wish there was more I could do for her. You should have seen the bruises on her back." He shuddered, remembering the welts and black and blue marks. All of a sudden, he realized that he probably should take her to the hospital, just to make sure nothing was wrong.

"Physical abuse can be severe, even when the victim is in their teens, especially if they think they deserve it."

"Ryan told me that their dad blamed her for her mom's death…" Fin's voice trailed off. Kaitlin was trying really hard to listen through the door, but look like she wasn't. She was trying so hard not to piss off Fin more than she thought she had already. "I don't know what to do…"

"Be there for her. Talk to her… besides that, there really isn't much. You have to wait for her to come to you."

"I don't know if that's going to happen. She's terrified of me, I can tell. She probably doesn't know that I can see her flinch every time I come near her…" Fin drew in a ragged breath. "It's like, just because I'm "in charge", she assumes…"

"She's convinced it's okay for cops."

"What?"

"To hit their kids. Or anyone, I guess."

Fin shook his head. "That's just messed up. I thought I knew my best friend better than this… I can't believe he'd hurt his kids… I may not have been 'father of the year,' but I never laid a hand on my son…"

"I know, Fin. Child abuse is such a terrible thing. The effects are devastating." George walked over to the door. He opened it and invited Kaitlin back in. She looked up at Fin apprehensively. George, noticing the awkward silence, pulled out a business card from his pocket. "If you ever need to talk… feel free to call me. My cell's on the back." He handed the card to Kaitlin. She eyed him wearily before taking it and shoving it in her pocket.

"Thanks." She answered quietly.

Fin was the next one to break the resulting silence. "Let's let Dr. Huang get back to his work. Thanks so much, George."

"Thanks." Kaitlin politely answered.

"No problem. Bye."

The pair left Dr. Huang's office. As soon as they had left the precinct, Fin started the car in the opposite direction of his apartment.

"Where are we going?" Kaitlin asked, noticing this right away.

"To the hospital." Fin knew she'd be upset. He could see the fireworks starting.

"Why?" Her voice was panicked.

"We need to get you checked out."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not…"

"Yes, I am…" Her voice dropped. "Please, I hate doctors. I'm sc-scared of doctors."

"I saw your back, Kaitlin." Fin's voice was gentle. "We need to get it checked out… to make sure you're okay."

Kaitlin started crying softly. "Oh, God…" Fin could hear the embarrassment in her voice and he wished more than anything to hold her, but he knew that she'd never let him do that. At least, not this soon. He wished he could make all this go away. "Please don't make me go. I'm okay, I swear! It's been a lot worse before. I promise."

"Look, baby, It's going to be okay. You don't have anything to be afraid of." Fin wasn't going to back down on this one… not when it came to her health. And some of those bruises looked like they needed some medical attention.

"I'm sorry…"

"For what?" Fin pulled into a parking space. He looked at Kaitlin.

"Earlier. Yelling at you." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"It's okay, sweetie. I'm not mad at you."

"You're not?"

"Of course not…" Fin opened his car door. "Come on, let's go." Kaitlin didn't move. "Kaitlin? Come on."

Reluctantly, the girl got out of the car and followed Fin obediently to the entrance of the hospital. She really didn't want to go in, but she didn't really have a choice.

A few hours later, the pair emerged from the emergency room. The doctor had checked Kaitlin, and nothing seemed to be wrong. She would have some pretty nasty bruises, though, at least for a while.

"Thanks, Kaitlin." Fin told her as they got back into the car.

"You're welcome." Kaitlin answered. She liked how he knew how hard that was for her. He even held her hand when the doctor was examining her.

The drive back to the apartment went by quickly. As soon as Fin and Kaitlin got back to their home, Fin knew he had something to do. He'd been putting this off for a while.

All of a sudden, he stood up ramrod straight. He raised his voice slightly, making it sound much more stern. "Young lady, there's something we need to talk about."

Kaitlin glanced up at him, perceptive of his voice change.

It was now or never. He had to lay down the law.

**TBC soon!**


	9. Laying Down The Law

**Disclaimer: I don't own Law and Order: Special Victims Unit please don't sue! I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit!**

**I know that I haven't updated in far, far, far too long! I promise to change that. This chapter is mostly just Fin, Ryan, and Kaitlin, but I promise to have more of the other detectives in the next few chapters!!!!**

**Please read & review!!!**

Kaitlin had considered herself very good at reading people. She thought she could tell what was on people's minds. She thought she could predict what people were going to do. What she wasn't able to adequately account for was the affect of alcohol. And now, she couldn't even read her guardian. Probably because she knew him for so little time.

His change in voice scared her. She didn't know what to expect. This whole… _no hitting_ thing could be a front. She wasn't sure if she could trust Fin… at least, not yet. She didn't know who in the world she could trust. Maybe her older brother. Yes, Ryan had always been there for her. She suddenly wished he wasn't asleep.

Before she was able to get too caught up in her thoughts, Fin continued. "This can't happen…" Kaitlin looked up at him, visibly confused. "This drinking thing. My house. My rules. No drinking. No drugs. Got it?" She nodded. "Look at me, Kaitlin." She obeyed.

"Yes, sir." She replied. "No drinking."

"So… I want you to give me all your alcohol…"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Kaitlin was surprised by this request.

"You had a flask of vodka. I already have that. Or, rather. I have the flask. You drank the vodka." Fin's voice was not joking. "Now, I want you to give me the rest of it."

"I don't have anymore." She said quietly. She was lying. She had another flask. But she didn't want to give it up. She wanted to keep it in case Fin turned on her, too.

"You're sure?" Fin tried to catch her eye but Kaitlin avoided him.

She nodded.

"You don't want to go check your things?"

"Nope."

"No alcohol?"

"No alcohol."

"You're lying to me." Fin started. Kaitlin tensed up.

"What are you talking about?"

Fin got up slowly. He walked over to the kitchen and opened the cupboard. He pulled out two more flasks of vodka. "Wanna explain this?"

"You went through my stuff???" Fury engulfed Kaitlin. She stood up. "Don't you trust me?"

"Why should I?" Fin shouted back. If Kaitlin wanted to yell, so could he. He immediately regretted it, though, after seeing the look in her eye.

Hearing all the commotion, Ryan woke up and emerged from the bedroom. "What's going on?"

"Oh, like you don't already know?" Kaitlin screamed at him now. "I bet you were in on it together! Go through poor little drunken messed up Kaitlin's bags and see what you can find! You wanna check in my purse, too?"

"What are you talking about?" Ryan's attempts to stay calm were failing.

"Oh, like you don't already know!"

"I don't!"

"Detective overhear went through my stuff!" Kaitlin screamed.

"Hey! I was just trying to figure out what was going on with you. I come home... to find you drunk. I was trying to protect you." Fin defended himself. "You know what? Go to your room."

"Gladly." She turned and stalked off to her room.

Ryan and Fin watched the teen stalk off to her room and slam the door behind her.

"Ya know, sometimes, she's so sweet and nice. And then, it's like she's a completely different girl." Fin vented.

"You don't mean that." Ryan started. "She's… so emotional. And right now, her world is crashing down around her. I'm taking a bunch of psych classes, but I don't think it takes a psychiatrist to see that resents your position as a male authority figure. Laying down the law with the no drinking thing… and going through her things is the kind of boundary that she needed to feel, yet resented that you were the one imposing it."

Fin took a deep breath. It was hard to be mad at a kid who just lost her sole parent. Not that he was trying to be mad at her. "I'm trying so hard to do right by her… she's just so…"

"Scared?"

"How'd you know?"

"You can see it. She's petrified. Ya know, I told her that I would never leave her with someone who'd hurt her. I told her she could trust me. I told her that she could trust you… she's just so conditioned not to."

"How'd you get to be so smart and insightful?" Fin had a new rush of confidence. "We're gonna work it out."

"Ya know, Fin, you're a good man."

"That means a lot, Ryan. Thanks." Fin paused. "You think we should go talk to Kaitlin… smooth things over?"

"I think that would be a good idea."

The two walked towards Kaitlin's room. Fin extended his arm towards the door and knocked.

Silence.

He knocked one more time.

Silence.

"Kaitlin???" Fin called. "Kaitlin… It's Fin. I wanna talk."

Silence.

Ryan looked nervously at Fin. He opened the door slightly. "Kaitlin?" Ryan began. This time, not only was there silence, but there was an empty room. The two men's eyes traveled to the open window…


	10. Who Says You Can't Go Home?

**Sorry for the long delay in updating! Real life has a strange way of interfering in my fan fictions (who would've thought?) **

**Anyway… as always, I do not own Law and Order: Special Victims Unit nor am I making any money off of this.**

**Please read & review! Thanks. Oh, and no flames!**

Ryan and Fin looked at each other for a long moment, not sure what they should do.

"Oh no." Ryan whispered. "I can't believe she took off again..." His voice trailed off.

"Kaitlin!" Fin screamed out the window, hoping that she was still within earshot. She wasn't. Or, at least, she didn't respond. "She's done this before?"

Ryan nodded, wordlessly.

"We gotta find her." Fin announced. He was beginning to really worry. Drinking. Lying. Running Away. What was next? "Let's split up. I'll take the car and drive around. You wait here." After a perplexed look from Ryan, he amended. "In case she comes back."

"I got it." Ryan felt the need to add. "We're gonna find her." He sounded more confident then he really was. Inside, he was getting a little bit annoyed by his younger sister. He understood why she was upset that Fin went through her stuff, but she didn't need to run away. She didn't need to cause the two men so much worry.

They both raced towards the door, each trying to figure out where Kaitlin could possibly be. Could she have run to a friend's house? No, since she moved into Fin's apartment most of her friends lived too far away. In fact, she didn't really even know the area that well. Where could she have gone?

"Do you have a cell phone?" Fin asked. If either of them found her, they'd have to call the other.

"Yeah." Ryan answered. He gave Fin his number. "And so does Kaitlin!" He furiously pulled out his flip phone and dialed his sister's number.

Kaitlin was walking down the street a few blocks from where Fin lived. She had no idea where she was going. She hadn't thought this plan out well enough. Jumping out of the window was a spur of the moment decision that she sort of regretted now. She almost wished she could just go back to his place. A few tears fell down her cheek. _What have I done?_ She thought hopelessly. Taking off was just something she did to clear her head. She was pissed off because Fin had invaded her privacy. _But was it really so bad? He cares about me._ She rationalized. _Daddy never even noticed when I was drinking. He was plastered half the time!_ _Maybe running away was a mistake._

The sound of her cell phone ringing thrust her out of her thoughts. She glanced down at the Caller ID. **_Ryan_**. At least it wasn't Fin. She contemplated picking it up. She wanted to go back to Fin's… but was that even possible? If she hadn't pushed Fin to the breaking point yet, surely this little stunt would. No, she couldn't go back. Could she?

Before she could decide whether or not to pick up the phone, it stopped ringing. A few seconds later, it started ringing again, only this time instead of **_Ryan_** popping up, it said **_Message_**. She decided that it wouldn't do any harm to check her voicemail.

She listened impatiently as the voice said, "You have 1 new voicemail. To listen to your voicemail, press 4."

She pressed 4.

"Kaitlin… it's Ryan. Where are you? Pick up your phone… please." There was a pause and then Kaitlin heard Fin's voice. "Kaitlin, we want you to come home. Where are you? We can come get you." He paused, as if waiting for an answer. "Call back, please, baby, it's okay. You're not in any trouble…" Fin's voice was cut off with, "End of message. To save this message, press 9. To delete, press 7."

She pressed 9.

There was something about their voices that convinced Kaitlin that she had made the wrong decision about running away. But she wasn't sure if that mattered anymore.

She closed her eyes and gulped, picking up her cell phone. She went into her "Missed Calls" list and selected the first name on the list, Ryan.

The phone barely rang once when she heard her brother's voice. "Kaitlin?"

"Hi." She whispered.

"Are you okay? What happened? Where are you?" Ryan rushed out.

"I'm… I'm fine, Ry. I'm on my way back." And she was. She had turned around and was practically sprinted back to Fin's place. She just wanted to be back there. She had been wrong to run… and now she just wanted to make everything right.

"Fin's out driving… trying to find you. Do you want me to have him pick you up?"

"No!" She said, louder than she meant to. "I'm close. A few blocks away. It's fine, really."

"Okay… I'll see you soon, then?" Ryan added.

"Yeah." She paused. "Ryan?"

"Yes?"

"You're not… mad at me, are you?" Kaitlin was a bit uneasy about asking, but she had to know.

"We'll talk later. Just be careful, Kaitlin, okay?" His tone was perfectly clear. He was mad at her.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Ryan closed his flip phone and tossed it on the couch. Kaitlin was okay. That was all that really mattered. Everything else could be dealt with later. Then, he figured he should probably call Fin. Dialing the number Fin had given him; Ryan took a deep breath.

"Ryan?" Fin greeted as soon as he picked up the phone. "Did you hear from Kaitlin?"

"Yeah… she's on her way home." Ryan assured the man. Fin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Me too. Thanks."

"Bye."

Just as he hung up with Fin, there was a quiet knocking on the door. Ryan got up, looked through the peep hole, and threw the door open when he saw that it was Kaitlin.

"Thank God you're okay!" He announced.

The door still open, she dropped her purse and ran into Ryan's arms, crying hysterically.

"I'm sorry… I'm so so-sorry." Her apologies were muffled by his broad shoulders.

"Shhh… it's okay." He closed the door and led her to the couch. "Let's talk about it, okay?"

When Kaitlin had regained some composure, Ryan raised his voice a little. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Kaitlin looked up at him with a mixture of shock and fear.

"You think it's okay to take off?" Ryan softened his voice only slightly.

Kaitlin refused to answer… or even look at him.

"No, no, no… Silence is not going to be an answer for this." Ryan scolded. "What's going on with you?"

"I… I don't know." Kaitlin answered, honestly. "I guess… I left because I thought I had no more control."

"Because Fin found your flasks?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you get those anyway?" Ryan questioned.

"A friend." Kaitlin looked up at him. She could see the disappointment in his eyes. "They were for when things got hard… I didn't want Fin to find them… In case…"

"Things got hard again?" Ryan finished her sentence.

"Yeah." She mouthed. She bit her bottom lip. "I just… want to believe him. I want this to work out. But…"

"You're scared."

Kaitlin laughed. "Could you stop finishing my sentences?" But inside she was happy that he not only understood her, but also helped her say the things that she was having problems verbalizing on her own. "And I guess… I wanted to see what would happen if I just… ran away. I wasn't thinking, Ryan, I'm so sorry. I promise I won't do that ever again."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Ryan prodded.

"Fin?" Kaitlin asked. Ryan nodded. She continued. "He wouldn't understand…"

"Try me…" Kaitlin turned around, and saw Fin standing in the doorway.

**TBC**


	11. Grounded For Life

**Sorry it's been so long! I'm really bad at updating. Real life is just getting in the way too much! What can I do? That's it… I must become a professional fanfiction writer! Lol just kidding of course!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order: Special Victims Unit! I only own the lovely Kaitlin and sexy Ryan McKenzie. I am not making any $$$ off of this! Please don't sue!**

**Please read & review!**

Kaitlin just sat there for a second, not sure of what to do or say.

"Explain it to me, Kaitlin." Fin elaborated. "I want to understand."

She blinked at him for a few seconds. He entered the doorway completely and closed it gently behind him. "I'm sorry I took off today." She started. "I shouldn't have done that." Fin pulled up a chair near the couch where Ryan and Kaitlin were sitting. He kept a reasonable distance from the siblings. "It was stupid." She added quietly.

"Damn right it was." Fin added quietly. "But that's not what we need to talk about, kid."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to know why you did it. Please, Kaitlin…"

"Why I did what?" Kaitlin asked.

"Had the vodka in the first place…"

She met his worried gaze for only a moment before breaking eye contact. "I was saving it."

"For what?"

She couldn't believe he was making her say this. "Just in case…"

"In case of what?"

She didn't answer for a moment. His questions felt incessant. "When daddy was still alive, one of my friends gave me the vodka for when things got _too rough_." Ryan put a reassuring hand on her back and Kaitlin didn't even flinch. "I just wanted to keep it… in case I needed it again."

Fin all of a sudden understood why she needed the alcohol and why she was drunk when he found her before her father's funeral. "It's never going to be like that again, sweet heart. I promise you that. I'd never hit you, baby."

"I… I know."

Fin moved over to sit next to Kaitlin on the couch.

She felt compelled to continue, she didn't even know why. "I shouldn't have run away. I just felt like you were… invading my space… and I guess I didn't want you to find my stuff. I was scared and I didn't think things could get much worse. I wanted to see what you would do to me…" She rambled. "It sounds really stupid now."

"Actually, it makes a lot of sense." Fin assured her. "Ryan, why don't you give me a minute alone with your sister, okay?" The request caught him off guard. He wasn't expecting that. Neither was she.

Worried, Kaitlin sent a glance over towards her brother. Her eyes seemed to plead _Don't leave me_. He reluctantly got up as Kaitlin angled herself towards her legal guardian.

"You're not gonna… kick me out or anything, right?"

"Of course not." Fin was surprised by the question. He did not expect her to assume that. "Mitch… your father… was like a brother to me. We're family. And family doesn't turn its back on family, understand?"

She nodded. She didn't understand, though. It sure felt like her dad turned his back on his family too many times to count. And if her dad was best friends with Fin… then maybe she was in more trouble than Fin was letting on…

She gulped.

"I do have to punish you, though." Fin took a deep breath. "Drinking is not the answer. If you have a problem, talk to me. Talk to Ryan. Talk to _someone._ Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Neither is running away. That's gotta stop, kid." Fin noticed she had broken all eye contact, like she was just waiting for her punishment, and she had just shut down in preparation. "Look at me, Kaitlin."

She obeyed.

What was Fin doing? He had no idea how to handle this situation. His wife handled all the discipline in the house when his son was growing up. He made a quick decision. "You're grounded. Two weeks. Sound fair?"

She looked up at him, shocked. "Yes." She wasn't sure what else she expected him to do to her. Slap her? Scream at her? Did she really expect him to pull her over his lap and spank her ass? She wasn't sure what made her stay seated next to him. "I'm sorry I made you look for me today…"

"It's okay, sweetie. We were just so worried about you… it's dangerous if you're out alone, especially where you're not familiar. You could have gotten hurt or worse…" Fin started.

"I know, I know… and I'm really sorry." Her sincerity was apparent and it made Fin second guess his punishment. Maybe she just needed a warning this time. Figuring he'd reduce her sentence with good behavior, he let the chastisement stand.

"Why don't you go to your room now, okay?" Fin suggested. Kaitlin nodded and got up to leave.

Ryan intercepted her and followed her into her room. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You're such a bad liar."

"I'm fine. Really." She sat down on the bed and pulled her knees into her chest. Ryan sat down next to her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm waiting for you to tell me what's up with you, of course." Ryan answered.

"You should go… Fin told me to go to my room. He'll probably be mad if you're here to." Her voice trailed off.

"Then we'll make this fast." He skipped a beat. "Spill, sister."

"I hate it when you're mad at me." She finally admitted. She was holding it in the whole way home and while talking to Fin.

"What?"

"You said you were mad at me. When we were on the phone."

"Yeah… I WAS mad at you. Then. But not now." Ryan moved closer to her. "Look, I understand why you've been acting the way you've been acting lately. And I don't approve of it… but I get it. Ok?" She nodded. "I'm not mad at you. And I don't hate you. You EVER need to talk to me… I want you to call me, anytime, day or night. And if you can't reach me, I want you to call Ken Randall… you remember him, right? He's one of my best friends."

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Fin's son, right?"

"Yes. And he's right here. So, if you're ever in trouble… he'll help you, okay?" Kaitlin nodded. "Give me your cell, Kaitlin." She obeyed, letting him program Ken's cell number into hers. She felt better knowing that she had it. And Ken had practically lived at Ryan's house before he left for college. Kaitlin knew Ken pretty well.

As soon as he returned her cell, Fin knocked on the door. To Kaitlin's surprise, he wasn't mad at all. "Hey kids." He greeted. "Ryan, we have to leave soon."

"Leave? For where?" Kaitlin asked.

"The airport." Ryan proceeded gently. "I'm leaving for LA today."

"What?" She almost shouted. "I thought you were staying longer!" Tears started welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kaitlin, I… I have classes… tests… midterms… I can't miss any more. But I'm a phone call away. Day or night if you ever need to talk."

It was like the wind had been knocked out of her. She wanted to cry, but somehow, the tears that had been welling up moments ago seemed to evaporate. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. She wanted some vodka.

**Review please!**


	12. Really In Trouble

**Disclaimer: I don't own Law and Order: Special Victims Unit please don't sue! I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit! Please read & review!**

But she knew she couldn't drink anymore. At least, not when Fin was around. Besides, he had all of her alcohol, and she didn't want to take any more beers from his refrigerator. And to make things worse, her brother was leaving. Kaitlin wasn't sure what she was going to do. At least, her and Fin had had a heart-to-heart. She felt a little more comfortable with her new guardian, although she still wasn't completely sure of him. He was hard to read. She didn't know what he was going to do next.

She closed her eyes to keep the tears from coming.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked her.

"Yeah, fine." She lied.

"Well, we need to be going, then." Fin started, sending a concerned look towards Kaitlin.

The three got up and made their way into the living room to gather Ryan's bags. Kaitlin picked up one of the lighter ones and waited as Ryan shoved a black hoodie into another bag.

"Is this everything?" Fin asked Ryan.

"Yeah, I think so." He replied, yawning. It had been a long few days.

He walked towards the door, pausing to take the bag from Kaitlin. She wrapped her arms around him, "I'm gonna miss you." She whispered.

"I'm gonna miss you too." Ryan replied. He pulled away from the embrace. "But remember what I told you. I'm just a phone call away." He gave her another quick hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She answered.

Fin was just watching the interaction between the siblings. He followed Ryan wordlessly out the door and was surprised when he heard Kaitlin yell behind him, "Bye! Drive Safely!" as he closed and locked the door.

Now all alone in Fin's apartment, Kaitlin didn't know what to do. She thought back to what she always did when she was this stressed. _Drink_. That was out of the question. She was beginning to get Fin's trust, and she wouldn't throw that all away. Besides, she didn't know what Fin would do to her if he caught her drinking again. It was not something that Kaitlin was ready to test. What else could she do? _Smoke_. Yes, a cigarette sounded quite nice right about now, but Kaitlin wasn't sure what Fin would think. She also didn't have a key to the apartment… and she knew that she couldn't smoke inside.

She sighed, finally deciding to just watch television. She plopped down on the couch and flipped on the set. Nothing good was on. Nothing good was _ever_ on. She flipped the television off and got up from the couch. She walked into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the cans of Coors Light Beer. She took a deep breath, and hastily grabbed a can of Diet Cola. She bit her bottom lip, proud that she avoided temptation. At least, this time.

The piercing ring of her cell phone broke her out of her thoughts. Flo Rida's "Low" blared from Fin's bedroom, where she must have left her cell phone after being sent to her room. She raced in the room from the kitchen, almost knocking down her pop. The last lines of the chorus came to a silence and the words **1 Missed Call** were almost instantly replaced with **Message**.

She called her voicemail and was happy to hear a familiar voice. "Hey Kaitlin, it's Cody. What's up? I heard about what's going on and I just wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry and I'm here for you. What are you doing tonight, babe? Do you want to hang out? Just call me back."

The message made Kaitlin smile. She saved the message and hung up the phone, not wasting any time calling Cody back.

Cody answered after the very first ring. "Hey you."

"Hey Cody." She smiled. He was one of the few people who could make her happy.

"How're you doing?" He asked. She could hear the concern in his voice.

"I'm fine." She laughed quietly. "Or I'll be fine, at least. Thanks for asking."

"Let's do something tonight… it'll take your mind off of everything."

"That sounds great…" Kaitlin started, then suddenly realized that she was grounded. "But I'm grounded."

"Grounded? Already? How long ago did you move in with this guy?"

"Well, he caught me drinking… the vodka **you** gave me." She laughed. "He freaked. Gave me this huge _no drinking, no drugs_ spiel and grounded me for 2 weeks."

"That sucks." Cody started. "I'm sorry about the vodka. But I only wanted to help…"

"Yeah, I know." Kaitlin reassured him. "It's no big deal. If he's anything like dad with working and stuff, then he'll be out of the house more often then he'll be here."

Cody laughed. He remembered the times that Kaitlin's dad had been out all night working and Cody had stayed over to keep Kaitlin company in a misguided attempt to protect her. "Okay… so are we on for tonight?"

Kaitlin made up her mind. "Yeah, for sure." She smiled, despite herself. All of a sudden, she had a really bad feeling about this.

"That's my girl!" Cody encouraged her. "When should I be over? Where do you even live?"

"I don't know about the time, just let me call you, okay?" Then she proceeded to tell her best friend where she lived now. She heard the door open. "But hey, I gotta go."

"Okay, talk to you later."

She hung up the phone and left the room quietly. Fin was standing in the kitchen.

"Did the plane take off okay?" Kaitlin started, unsure of what to say.

"I just dropped him off. His flight leaves in about an hour."

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

Fin could tell she was nervous about something, but didn't know how to push her. At least, not yet. "Is something wrong?" He decided to go for it.

"No, nothing." She faked a smile. "I just feel bad about everything."

Fin exhaled. He didn't even realize he was holding his breath. "It's okay. Just know that I'm here for you if you need me. I'm always ready to talk."

"Thanks." She genuinely smiled, probably for the first time since being there. "That means a lot."

Not wanting to ruin a good moment between the two, Fin was reluctant to answer his cell phone when it rang. Finally picking it up, he answered, "What's up?" There was a pause. "Right now?" Another pause. "Okay, I'll be right there."

Kaitlin just glanced up at him, pretending like she wasn't listening the whole time.

"I need to go to work for a little." Fin started. Kaitlin just nodded, trying not to smile. "Are you gonna be okay here alone?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine." She answered.

"Thanks. I'll give you a call later on, okay?" Fin made his way to the door, grabbing his jacket on the way. "I shouldn't be too long. If you get hungry, there's frozen dinners in the freezer."

"I got it." Kaitlin walked to the door with him. "I can handle myself." It came out slightly harsher than she meant it to.

Fin was taken aback slightly. "I know that. I'll see you later. Bye." He shuffled out the door, almost happy that Kaitlin was comfortable enough to talk back to him like that.

Kaitlin was pretty much ecstatic inside. She quickly found her phone and called Cody back. "He's gone!" She pretty much yelled into the receiver before even saying "hi."

"Nice." Cody replied. "When do you want me over?"

"As soon as possible… I don't know how long he'll be gone." Kaitlin just knew this wouldn't end well… but she didn't even care at this point. After all, she was all alone and needed someone to be with, at least for a little while.

She decided to change her clothes and straighten a little while she waited for Cody to get to Fin's apartment. She let him in exactly 23 minutes after she called him.

"I'm so glad you're here." She wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm glad I'm here too. How're you holding up?"

"I've been better…" She sighed. "I just hate this whole _being alone_ thing. I'm not by any of my friends, my brother just left. I even miss my dad." She snickered at the thought.

Cody looked her right in the eye. "You still have me…"

"I know." She gave him another hug. "I'll be okay, babe." She paused. "So… what do you wanna do?" She plopped down on the couch and reached for the remote. "Wanna watch a movie or something?"

"I was actually thinking about something else…" Cody said slyly.

"Like what?"

Cody pulled a plastic baggie out of his pocket. Inside, there was something green and plant-like. Kaitlin didn't know what it was.

"Cody!" She practically yelled. "Is that… _weed_?" She whispered the last word.

"Of course that's what it is. Come on, I'll pack a bowl."

"No! We can't… I've never smoked pot before. And I knew you did… but no! Not here! Fin would kill me." Her voice tapered off.

"Are you scared of him?" Cody asked her seriously. "Wait… has he hurt you?" His voice rose sharply.

"No." Kaitlin answered.

"Because if he has, I'll take you home with me. I'm not leaving you here if this guy's gonna hit you…" Cody's protective side was coming out.

"I'd tell you if he had hurt me." Kaitlin answered. "Fin hasn't laid a hand on me… at least, not yet."

She didn't think that Cody heard the last part.

"Not yet?" He looked like someone knocked the wind out of him. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing." Kaitlin wasn't ready to open up to Cody, especially not right now. "Please, put the pot away…"

"Fine." Cody put the bag back in his pocket. "But you have to promise me that you'll call me if he ever hurts you… I'll come here and get you, day or night."

"I know…"

"Promise?"

"I promise." Kaitlin took in a deep breath.

"So, what do you want to do? Ya know, I only brought the weed because I thought it would help you relax, loosen up, and forget about everything else going on…" Cody defended himself.

"Yeah, I know." Kaitlin smiled to show that there were no hard feelings.

"Let's just watch TV or something. Sound good?" He ruffled her hair and they found a movie on HBO to watch. Before she even realized it, she had fallen asleep, her head on Cody's muscular chest. He stroked her hair gently, but he too drifted off.

It was only when the door silently creaked open and then the booming voice of Fin, "What is going on here?!?!" that either woke up. Kaitlin jumped off Cody so fast she almost fell to the floor. She looked up at her guardian, fear coloring her eyes.

She was really in trouble now.

**Please read and review!!! Thanks. No flames please! Sorry for the long update!**


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